Theater-chair hinge.



Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

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W. A. BISHOP.

THEATER CHAIR HINGE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. I8. |915.

'UNITED STATES rRAIIEN'I OFFICE.

WILLIAM BISHOP, OF NEW LONDON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WISCONSIN CHAIR COMPANY, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN.

THEATER-CHAIR HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed January 18, 1915. Serial No. 2,805.

To all whom z'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Bisi-10P, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New London, in the county of `Waupaca and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Theater Chair Hinges, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this speciication. v

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in theater chair hinges more particularly adapted for connecting the chair seats or bottoms to the side members or standards.

In many theaters and public halls the chairs are arranged in curved or angular formation and in which formation the side standards of the chairs are not parallel with relation to each other and it has heretofore been somewhat difficult to adjust the chairs so that their hinged bottom portions may be easily swung upwardly and downwardly without undue friction and noise.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a theater chair hinge which is adapted to connect the chair seat or bottom tothe side/members or standards in such a manner as to permit the free movement of the seat portion whether or not the side standards are in parallel relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a theater chair hinge which may be adjusted without separating the parts to compensate for wear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a theater chair hinge havingmeans for cushioning the blow of striking parts when the chairbottom is swung to its upper or lower positions to eliminate the noise and to prevent undue strain of the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a theater chair hinge which may be stamped and formed of sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a theater chair hinge which is of simple construction, is easily assembled and is well adapted for the purpose desired.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved the? Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken on line 4-11 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 5 indicates a chair standard, 6 the back, 7 the seat and 8 the seat braces which are hinged to the standards by the improved-hinges 9 (only one standard, brace and hinge being shown). Each seat brace 8 is stamped and formed of sheet metal and at the aXis of its movement is provided with a circular reinforcing plate 10 which is riveted to the inner side of the brace member by rivets 11. Both the brace 8 and the plate 10 are embossed outwardly to form a ball or spherical portion 12 which is in alinement with the aXis of movement of the chair seat.

An offset bracket 13 riveted to the side of the standard 5 is provided kwith a' part spherical recess or socket 14C formed therein into which the embossed portion of the seat brace 8 closely fits. The embossed portion of the reinforcing plate 10 fits into the part spherical recess or socket 15 of the angular clamping member 16 which is adjustably connected to the bracket 13 by the clamping screw 17 and the headed angular portion 18 of the said clamping member 16. The headed end portion 18 of the clamping member is bent at right angles to the recessed portion thereof and extends through a T-shaped opening 19 provided in the bracket 13. The portion of the opening 19 nearest to the part spherical recess 14: is of sufficient width to permit the passage therethrough of the headed end portion 18 while the outer or stem portion of the opening is of a less width than the headed end so that when the p said headed end is passed through the opening and the clamping member is moved outwardly from the recess 14 the said head will be hingedly and removably locked to the bracket. The opposite end of the clamping member is provided with an. opening a 20 through which the clamping screw 17 eX- tends. The screw also extends through the elongated concentric slot Q1 formed in the seat brace 8 and the reinforcing plate 10 and through an opening 22 in the bracket`13 and on its threaded end is provided with a nut 17 which bears against the outer side of the bracket and is prevented from turning by the shoulder 13 formed on the bracket 13 so that by turning the head of the screw beneath the chair seat the spherical portion of the seat bracket may beadjustably clamped between the bracket and the clamping member. This construction forms ball and socket connections between the seat and the standards and permits the seat to be freely swung upwardly and downwardly whether or not the two standards, between which the seat is mounted, are in parallel relation.

The clamping screw 17 has a` split antifriction roller 23 journaled thereon which travels in the concentric slot 9,1 and the medial portion of the said slot is of suflicient width to permit the free turning of said roller, whereas the portion 21 of the slot adjacent its opposite ends are of less width than the diameter of the roller so that said roller will be clamped and held between the edges of the bracket forming the slot before the roller strikes against the end edges vof the slotted portion of the bracket. This stop engagement of the roller withthe bracket limits the movement of the seat portion from its lower seating position to its upper folded position and as the ends of the roller formed by the split portion are spaced a slight distance apart the stop engagement is cushioned by the yielding of the roller due to its compressibility.

It 'will be noted that the split 23 of the roller extends obliquely to its axis of rotation in vorder to permit a lateral movement of the split end portions if the roller is compressed to the point where its ends abut thereby eliminating a pound. split also serves to eliminate a flat portion which is always present with split rollers having the split 'extending parallel to their axis.

It will also be noted that the clamping member 16 and the bracket 13 are spaced from the flat` portion of the seat brace a lsuflicient` distance to permit limited universal movement of said seat brace withoutstrikin'g the parts.

Portions A of the bracket and the reinforcing plate are cut vaway to accommodate the angular portion 18 of the clamping member 16 and to form 'stop vshoulders 24 which serve to positively limit the movement of the chair seat in the event of undue wear of roller or the edges of the bracket forming the slot;

The clamping member is formed with re- T he oblique inforcing ianges 25 for bracing said member. i

-While only one hinge has been described and shown it is to be understood that each seat is to be placed between a pair of standards and to be connected thereto by two hinges and also that in inside seats, each standard is to have a seat hinged to each side thereof. It is to be understood that while the hinge is shown as being articularly adapted for use in connection with a theater chair it may also be used in connection with other chairs having hinged seats.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the theater chair hinge is of simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

`What I claim as my invention is:

l. A chair hinge, comprisingl a chair member provided with a part spherical recess and with a T-shaped opening, an angular clamping member having a T-shaped end which enters the chair member opening and lockingly engages the chair member, said clamping member having aportion spaced from the chairmember which is provided with a spherical recess registering with the recess of the chair member, a seat member interposed between the chair member and the spaced portion of the clamping member and having part spherical projections which enter the registering recesses, said seat member having an elongated opening approximately concentric with relation to the axis of the recesses, the end portions of said elongated opening being of less width than the medial portion, a clamping screw eX- tending through the elongated opening and engaging the chair member and the free end portion of the clamping member, and a roller journaled on the screw and positioned to travel in theelongated concentric opening and to engage the portions of the seat member formig the narrow portions of the elongated opening.

2. A chair hinge, comprising a chair inemberhavin'g` a part spherical recess pressed inwardly therein and also having a T-shaped opening, an angular clamping member having a l'shaped end which lockingly enters the T-shap'ed opening, said'clamping member havin-g a portion spaced from the chair member which is provided with va pressed part spherical recess registering with the recess of the chair member, a seat member having a portion interposed between the chair member' and the spaced portion of lthe clamping member and said portion provided with a reinforcing plate, said interposed portion and said "plate having outwardly bulged portions of part spherical shape which bear in the part spherical recesses, said interposed portion and the reinforcing plate provided with an elongated opening approximately concentric with relation to the axis of the recesses, the end portions of said elongated opening being of less width than the medial portion, a clamping screw eX- tending through the elongated opening and engaging the chair member and the free end portion of the clamping member, and a split roller j ournaled on the screw and positioned to travel in the elongated concentric opening and to engage the portions of the seat member forming the narrow portions of the elongated opening.

3. A chair construction, comprising a chair member, a seat member hinged thereto and provided with an elongated opening concentric with relation to the movement of the seat, the opposite end portions of the opening being of less width than the medial portion, and a yielding roller journaled on the chair member and entering the opening and adaptto engage the portions of the seat member forming the narrow portions of the elongated opening.

4. A stop mechanism, comprising two members pivotally connected together, one of said members having an elongated concentric opening, the opposite end portions of said opening being of less width than the medial portion, and a split yielding roller journaled on one of the members and eX- tending through the elongated opening and adapted to be engaged and compressed between the edge portions of the member forming the narrow portions of the opening.

5. A stop mechanism, comprising two members pivotally connected together, one of said members having an elongated concentric opening, the opposite end portions of said opening being of less width than the medial portion, and an obliquely split yielding roller j ournaled on one of the members and extending through the elongated opening and adapted to be engaged and compressed betweenk the edge portions of the member forming the narrow portions of the opening.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. BISHOP.

Witnesses:

P. S. BIoKroRD, Gro. W. DEMMING.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner ot Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

